Carton-handling apparatus



June 28 1927.

. l'Lsafgo'rs M. MvFAULL ET AL l CARTON HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 22. 1924 Z'Sheptvsfhg :1

-ATTQRNEY M. MCFAULL ET AL y CARTON HANDLING APPARATUS June 28,1927. Y l1,634,078

Filed Aug. 22. 1924 2 shouts-smet 2 f3. 'ff f WV.

ATTORNEY Patented Jane 2s, 1927.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT'. ol-ncn. Y

MALCOLM MOFAULL AND ARTHUR* RIDEOUT, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORSTO STANDARD SEALING EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION 0F NEW YORK.

CARTON-HANDLING ArrAnA'rUs.

A Application filled August 22, 1924. I Serial No.-v7\33,510.

The present invention relates to apparatus for handling cartons in order to facilitate sealing of the cartons for shipment. It has to do particularly with the handling of filled cartons to bring them into condition for application of silicate or other sealing material by means of which the carton 1s to bey matel constitute .the four side walls' of the',

seale carton, together with four portions or flaps at each end depending from the bod part. \The depending portions at eachl en constitute two inner kiiapsand two outer flaps to be folded over the inner fiaps at right angles to them to ultimately constitute the ends of the sealed carton. For shipment, the flaps at both ends of the carton must be sealed. This is sometimes done b sealing the iiaps constituting one end of t e carton before the carton is acked. The empty cartons having their ottom closures formed are then packed for shipment after which so the top flaps of the carton are sealed. For

--commercial reasons, however, it is preferable to seal both' the bottom and the top fiaps of thev cartons after the cartons have been packed, and this is at present common practice. I g

The cartons are commonly packed at a point remote from the apparatus used in the sealing operation. The bottom iaps` of the blanks are folded to constitute a closure at 40 the bottom of the carton, whereupon the carton is filled and is then ltransported tothe carton sealing apparatus. The problem of transporting the cartons to, the sealing' apparatus, unfolding both the top and bottom flaps, applying silicate to the. fiaps and then closing and sealing the fiaps is a source of considerable diiiculty in connection with the handling of carton packed oods. .A particular difficulty arises inthe andling of the filled carton to perform the' necessary sealing` operations without disarranging or otherwise disturbing the packages contained in the carton.

In case the gumming of the carton aps is accomplished manually, the operator unfolds the top flaps, silicates thexundersides of the outer top flaps and then closes the outer flaps upon the inner iaps into the position which they will occupy in the sealed carton. He then inverts the filled carton, being careful not to disturb its contents. With-the carton thenresting upon its freshly gummed iaps the operator silicates the iaps which are now at the upper end of the carton'and foldsthem ldown into closed'position, after which he introduces the carton into asuitable pressure applying unit where it is permitted to remain until the silicate on the flaps has set. In case automatic mechanism is employed to apply the silicate to the carton fiaps, the carton must ordinarily be introduced into the silicate applying apparatus with its outer top and-bottom fiaps lati I erally extended.' The operator receives the cartonfas it comes from the packing operation, folds out` the outer top flaps, and then inverts 'the carton .without disturbing its contents in order :that he may vfold out the flaps at the other end of the carton into con- I dition for introduction `into the silicate applying apparatus. verting t e filled cartons involves considerable manual labor and at the same time necessitates much care if the operation is to be performed without disturbing the contents, of the package.

The operation of in- It is a prmcipal object of this invention to provide an apparatus for receiving the unsealed cartons after they have been* packed and facilitating the unfolding of the flaps for introduction into the silicating. mechanism without necessity for inverting or otherwise manipulating the filled carton. Thus the'cartons may be packed at a point distant from the seahng apparatus and con- Aveyed tothe sealing apparatus on any suitable conveyer, at which point the operator, need merely fold out the outer top flaps and permit the carton to pass along directly into the silicating and sealing apparatus. The operator is capable of handling the cartons and passing themen with great rapidity with the result that a greatly decreased amount of time is required for handling the cartons vpreparatory tothe silicatingand sealing of the flaps.

It is also an object of the present invention to providean apparatus for receiving l V ment of our invention in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic, illustrating the apparatus embodying our invention thru: which the unsealed filled carton is passed before -it is ready for shipment; Figure 2 is an elevational View illustratin our improved apparatus for unfolding the outer bottom iiaps;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line lr-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1 ofthe drawings, l indicates the conveyer upon which the filled unsealed cartons are transported from the place at which they are packed to the carton sealing apparatus. The frame work'or supporting .structure indicated at 2 serves to support the apparatus which receives the carton from the conveyor 1 and serves to unfold and laterally extend the Outer bottom flaps. The cartons with their flaps thus extended are then passed into the apparatus indicated generally at 3 which serves the function of silicating the flaps and folding them into closed position. The closed and silicated cartons then pass along into the pressure unit 4 in which the gummed aps are subjected to l'pressure by means of presser belts 5 which engage the flaps along their fold lines. The silicatin of the iaps is accomplished thru the me lum of feed rolls 6 which withdraw the liquid silicate from the reservoirs 7 and apply it to the carton flaps as the cartons pass thru the apparatus. Further movement of the cartons brings the flaps into engagement with the closing members v8, which serve to close both the upper and lower flaps and put the carton' into condition for introduction into the pressure j unit 4. Any conventional type of silicate applying means and fla closingmeans may be employed. The unit here shown is similar to that disclosed in the copending application of Wallace D. Kimball, Arthur E. Rideout' and Malcolm McFaull for Carton sealing apparatus led concurrently herewith No claim is made in the present ap-- plication to the specific construction of the apparatus forsilicating and sealing the carton flaps.

The apparatus for unfolding and extending the bottom flaps of the carton comprises a roller table or other suitable support in alignment with the conveyor 1. This table preferably consists of two roller table sections 9a and 9*. roller table section 9b a gap 10 occurs. At this point the dividing artition 11 between the table sections 9a an 9b is odset slightly toward the side adjacent the section '9a. The carton is held positioned ,centrally of Near the initial end of the the table thru the medium of suitable side guides 22, the carton being driven by an endless chain 13, having upon it suitable downward projections 13a adapted to engage with the rear edge ofthe carton and thus propel the carton thru the apparatus. Upon movement of the carton over the whole or gap 10 into the position indicated at 14, the

lower bottom Hap 15 of the' carton will drop down under its own weight into substantially vertical position as shown, the oifset partition l1 afording ample clearance for'` the carton flap to thus swmg downwardly.

As the carton ,proceeds thru the apparatus the downwardly extending flap 15 is engaged by a guide arm 16 which turns the Hap 15 up into horizontal position extending out laterally at the sideV of the carton as indicated at 17.

A gap 18 is provided in the table section 9a at a point beyond the gap 10. At this point the middle partition 11 is offset in the opposite direction to furnish ample clearance so that the other outer bottom carton ap 19` may swing down into vertical position as shown. Further movement of the carton brings the downwardly extending flapV 19 into engagement with a guide arm 2O which moves the flap u into horizontal position extending out at t e side of the carton. The carton is then in condition for introduction into the sealingfand flap closing unit 3.

Upon passing of the carton onto the supporting table 9 the operator folds out the outer top flaps so that they are maintained in laterally extended relation under the action of guide bars 21 extendin along the length of the apparatus. A gui e 23 is also preferably provided for the purpose of holding down t e inner top flaps, while the side guides 22 serve to properly center the carton with respect to the supporting table 5 and at the same time furnish the necessary lat eral support to maintain the carton upright when it passes over the gaps' 10 and 18 in youter bottom flaps under the influence of their own weightl and the turning of the flaps up into laterally extended position for introduction into the silicate applying mechanism. This operation of'folding out the outer bottom flaps is accomplished while the carton is in continuous movement thru the apparatus. It is accomplished without necessity of inverting or otherwise disturbing the carton with the consequent danger of damaging or disarranging the contents of the carton, and without danger of injury to the carton flaps. No attention or manual effort is required in ythus folding -out the bottom iaps to receive the silicate'.

We claim Carton handling apparatus of the class described comprising a support for lled unsealed cartons including conveyer rolls arranged in two parallel longitudinally eX- tending sections, each of said sections being discontinued at dierent points lengthwise of the support, a dividing member extending longitudinally between said roll sections moving the' carton along said support centrally positioned with respect to the widthv of the support, whereby upon passage of a carton over said discontinuities the. outer bottom flaps of said cartons are permitted to swing into open position.

- In testimony whereof'we aflix tures.

ARTHUR E. RIDEOUT. MALCOLM MGFAULL.

our signa- 

